CC can’t hold it together, Yanks lose to Angels

Perhaps the most telling point of today’s game was when I glanced up at the big scoreboard in center in the top of the sixth and saw that the Yankees had just one hit. Against a guy making just his sixth career appearance at age 30. The team led thanks to a Hideki Matsui single in the first, but other than that it was typical Yankees: making a replacement level pitcher look like a Cy Young winner. Unfortunately for them, the pitching wouldn’t hold up all game.

CC Sabathia again didn’t look like the ace the Yakees signed over the off-season. He held the Angels scoreless through five, but his pitch count had built up by the sixth. A leadoff single by Howie Kendrick kicked off a series of events which would conclude with Torii Hunter scoring on a Kendry Morales ground out. It wasn’t all bad at that point, with the game tied at one. Matt Palmer was still on the mound, and it’s not like he’s actually good. The Yanks were bound to break through, right?

It looked like they would in the bottom of the sixth, as Derek Jeter led off with a ground rule double to center. Johnny Damon got him to third, but Mark Teixeira popped one straight up, as he is wont to do this season. Hideki couldn’t get the hit the Yanks needed, and they sent out CC Sabathia for the seventh. He had thrown 99 pitches to this point. For a guy like Sabathia, that seems like the smart move. It did not turn out that way.

After two straight singles and a sacrifice, the Angels had second and third with one out. Thankfully, Gary Matthews was at bat. He promptly struck out swinging, putting CC in a position to finish out the frame with the game still tied. On a 1-1 count Howie Kendrick hit one up the middle, and it looked like two runs would score. Robinson Cano ranged, though, and picked it, saving one run. That would prove for naught, as Torii Hunter doubled in the next at bat and plated the two runners. That would be CC’s day, though Jon Albaladejo allowed a single which scored the inherited runner. His final line: 6.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, and a big L.

Perhaps if the bullpen had held the Angels in the final two frames the Yanks cold have made a game of it. Despite hordes of fans departing before the ninth the Yanks mustered a mini rally, plating three runs before Johnny Damon struck out in a pitch in the dirt. Once Matthews dropped a Derek Jeter fly ball it started to feel like April 19, 2007 — hell, or even last night — but it didn’t last long.

Still, if the Yankees can come back and win tomorrow’s game — where the O’Neill Theory will be put to another test — they’ll have taken three of four from the Angels, which is what everyone was hoping for coming in. If they can follow that up with three of four from Boston and Tampa, well, then they’ll be rolling. The starting pitching will have to hit a groove at some point, but I have full faith in that. But for now we can just hope that Hughes can build off his last start.

Personal note: Sadly, this was my first trip to the new Stadium. Got to take a lap around the whole place. The view from the bleachers was excellent. The higher vantage point makes it better than at the old Stadium, despite being pushed a bit further back. I also got a chance to meet up with Rebecca, who is as cool in real life as she is in our comments on her blog.

this team is definately one of the best we have had in some years. one tex and arod are going good and the pitching really clicks they will be sick! the crazy thing is that the bullpen was a strength last year but i totally have no faith in them at all. i would like to see melancon move up in the ranks. any info on how bruney has been feeling? i really want joba to start but i have a feeling he we be in this bullpen this year at some point. if hughes stays hot , i feel like they will move joba when wang is back. hughes performance tomorrow is huge for the b-jobbers as is wangs rehab. i can not root against hughes and wang but i feel like their sucess ends jobas year as a starter. he has got 23 innings now. if he starts for another month he can get that to about 50 innings on the year. that leaves 4 months (not including playoffs) for him to throw about 80-100 innings if he is to build to 200 eventually. i do not believe that all innings are the same however and 150 bullpen innings do not set you up for 180 innings started a year later. but obviosly the yankees know more about that than me. i feel like they will move him and i understand that the teram wants to win now but they are really fucking with the future. isnt there a better way to fix the pen. trade someone for some good arms or something, no?

http://actyankee.blogspot.com Matt ACTY

but obviosly the yankees know more about that than me.

And that is why they will not move Joba out of the rotation.

josh

i pray you are right. what can be done about this bullpen? i also am starting to have doubts about giradi. maybe we were wrong about torre. as bad as i felt he was at managing the pen, girardi is worse

http://actyankee.blogspot.com Matt ACTY

Girardi is better, he’s just fallen into bad habits of letting guys (Marte, Robertson) sit for a while and over-relying on guys (Veras, Albie) which he didn’t do last year. The ‘pen can and will right itself without moving Joba there. Moving him there would create a bigger hole in the rotation than the hole that’d be fixed in the ‘pen.

http://theyankeeuniverse.com Moshe Mandel

Eh, even that is overrated. 7 guys between 7 and 11 appearances. The first time he did that was Friday night in this series, when Marte should have pitched rather than Veras. Otherwise he has been good at spreading it around. If you go back and look at the games this week until Friday night, there were 5.2 non rivera bullpen innings to go around, and 3.2 were in blowouts and 2 went to the smoking hot Phil Coke. It was not strange that he didnt use Marte until Friday.

Darth Stein

Not what I hoped for from our ace. He has to turn it around soon because he is just too good to struggle like this over a long period of time. However, that realization doesn’t make games like this any less depressing.

http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa

CC was actually very, very good until that last inning when he let it get away from him. Such is life.

http://www.riveraveblues.com Joseph Pawlikowski

Yeah, the only remotely bad thing before the seventh was his long second inning. Other than that he was pretty good, even during the sixth.

steve (different one)

glad to read this here.

he was good. much better than his final line.

and he wasn’t tiring, just ran into some bad luck. that bloop should have been caught by Damon. which would have been a double play.

he hit 99 on his strikeout to Matthews, so he was still bringing it.

http://theyankeeuniverse.com Moshe Mandel

I dont know, maybe it is an early season stamina issue- maybe its causing him to lose location rather than velocity. Look at the last 3 starts, all of them had him pitching great until the 6th or 7th, when he allowed at least 3 runs.

El Generalissimo

This would make sense considering that he was over 100 pitches when he lost it… Despite the ending this was a very encouraging start and most likely means he will be money next time.

I have faith Girardi will use Robertson more, and get melancon more innings under his belt so he can be counted on for the 7th or 8th with coke and bruney soon.

John

Sorry to ask, but what is the O’neill theory?

http://actyankee.blogspot.com Matt ACTY

Thou shalt not wear #21.

http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa

If a team is getting blown out and they score some runs late in the game, they’ll win the next game because they finished strong. We’ve been informally tracking it for a season or two now, and I’d say it’s true about 95% of the time.

http://www.puristbleedspinstripes.com Aunt Becca-Optimist Prime

I like this theory.

Question: How do you quantify ‘some?’ and is the ‘some’ relative to the score?

Scoring 7 or 8 runs late when you’ve been down 10-1 is different than scoring 2 when you were down 6-0.

http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa

It’s actually more like a sustained rally, like 2 or 3 runs. Depends. One solo homer won’t cut it.

http://www.riveraveblues.com Joseph Pawlikowski

It’s crazy, because one would think it’s just a huge coincidence. But every time I notice it, the late-scoring team wins the next day. Which is why I was glad the game where Granderson hit the bomb in the ninth was the last against the Tigers.

http://actyankee.blogspot.com Matt ACTY

Well, the Tigers did lose their next game.

steve (different one)

it has to be against the same team i think

http://www.riveraveblues.com Joseph Pawlikowski

I think this comment proves this theory ludicrous.

Ivan

Well usually in a 4 game series, u always want to get at least 3 of 4, and while the yanks lost, the mission is still intact if they win tomorrow.

Like the old saying goes, next day momentum is next day starting pitcher and hopefully Hughes the yanks a quality start and a chance to win.

Heh, all this time I thought that “theory” was some shit you (Joe) posted while you were blazed.

http://www.riveraveblues.com Joseph Pawlikowski

Nah, man. I can’t think of that shit on my own. It was straight from O’Neill. Funniest part is that he said it after A-Rod smacked a signature late-inning homer in a blowout.

http://actyankee.blogspot.com Matt ACTY

Sean Green just walked in the winning run.

Why the Mets didn’t turn to K-Rod is beyond me. The save is the absolute dumbest stat out there and every single team is a slave to it. It’s pathetic.

http://www.nowlive.com/desktop/default.aspx?id=100330797 Joey H

Yeah except when he comes in when they aren’t in extras and down by 4 runs+. Clueless Jerry.

jsbrendog

anyone oing to the game tomorrow?

http://www.puristbleedspinstripes.com Aunt Becca-Optimist Prime

No, and that’s probably a good thing. The Yankees don’t tend to win the games I go to!

Nady Nation

Yup

http://www.nowlive.com/desktop/default.aspx?id=100330797 Joey H

I was there today. First time. It was gorgeous. They really out-did themselves. The attendants are extremely nice and not in a condescending way.

mg

always

Accent Shallow

I was considering it.

http://www.nowlive.com/desktop/default.aspx?id=100330797 Joey H

Now I heard A-Rod won’t be back this homestand! Why!?!? Why!!!!111!?!?!11?

Thomas A. Anderson

Selena Robert’s book drops on Monday.

Pretty shrewed move my the Yankee brass, no?

Besides, I think A-Rod has 2 hits in 12 at bats in Tampa. It’s not like he is ready to go anyway.

http://www.nowlive.com/desktop/default.aspx?id=100330797 Joey H

Yep on the book thing. However, I think getting him in for the Tampa series would be good. Start him off at home, if he is physically able of course. He needs a warm home crowd welcome given all the ‘roid stuff.

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